What Causes a Toothache?

Suffering from a toothache? Then you must not “ride out the pain” or self-medicate to overcome it. Toothaches must always be assessed by a dentist in the first instance so that they can see what the pain means.

When you feel pain, it is because your body is trying to tell you that there is a problem. If you do not know what the problem is, the problem can get worse, and it may turn into something that you cannot treat.

On the other hand, if you visit your dentist promptly, then we will be able to treat the root cause of the pain, and prevent you from experiencing pain again.

What are the Leading Causes of a Toothache?

A lot of different things can actually cause toothaches, although some causes are far more common than others. Here are a few of the leading causes of toothache.

Cavities

Cavities are holes in the tooth that have been caused by tooth decay. The roots and nerves of a tooth are protected by multiple layers, but if these layers are degraded for any reason, the roots and nerves become more vulnerable.

Cavities which reach right down through the tooth to the nerve can cause tremendous pain, because bacteria, sugar and other substances are suddenly able to interact with the nerve.

Our dentist may give you a filling to prevent the cavity from getting worse and to protect the nerve.

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Cracked, Chipped or Fractured Tooth

A cracked, chipped or fractured tooth can cause very painful toothache, because the injury may have affected the nerve in the tooth. What is more, when a tooth is cracked or chipped, the protective layers on the tooth is also damaged.

This means that the tooth becomes more susceptible to tooth decay. A dentist at New Image Dental in Los Angeles may want to put on a crown or veneer to protect the damaged area. If it is badly damaged, we may recommend an extraction.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Because of the way that our mouths have changed over the past few thousand years, many humans no longer have enough room in their mouths for their wisdom teeth.
This means that many teeth do not come through straight (they are impacted). Impacted teeth can cause painful tooth and jaw ache near to the back of the mouth.

Gum Disease

Even though it is called gum disease, many people feel a pain similar to toothache. If you have bleeding gums when you brush your teeth, then there is a chance that you may have gum disease.

Dentists in Los Angeles who provide personalized care using state of the art technology and pain-free dentistry. We take great pride in creating beautiful smiles every day in Inglewood, Lennox, Westmont, Baldwin Hills, Westchester and Ladera Heights since 2001.

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Wednesday: 9am - 6pm

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Friday: 9am - 6pm

Saturday: 8am - 3pm

Sunday: Closed

New Image Dental

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